Parliamentary questions

524. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of the ten most expensive assessments of need commissioned by the HSE for the years 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the name of the private organisation carrying out the assessment in each case; and the cost associated with each. [28783/25]

525. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average length of time necessary to complete an assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005, when completed by HSE staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28845/25]

526. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average length of time necessary to complete an assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005, when completed by outsourced private companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28846/25]

353. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how the National Development Plan can be improved to ensure additional funding is allocated to childcare development, owing to the lack of spaces, unmanageable costs and inadequate salary levels facing the sector and parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28092/25]

354. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to promote greater flexibility in crèche drop-off policies, in view of concerns that rigid enforcement of arrival times, such as refusing entry for minor delays despite prior communication places undue pressure on working parents and fails to accommodate the realities of family life; and if…

355. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine recent childcare increases of 40% in a Dublin creche (details supplied); the action she is taking to ensure childcare costs are brought down; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27756/25]

356. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the assessment of need through the psychology service for a person (details supplied). [27757/25]

357. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a response will issue to communications from a parent who urgently requires available childcare spaces in County Donegal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27902/25]

358. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a procurement process was carried out by her Department for awarding a contract to a company carrying out research on the development of a national childcare agency; if so, the details of this procurement process and the details of the contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27937/25]

359. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the annual capital expenditure on cultural centres focused on Traveller Culture and Identity, from 2015 to 2025, in tabular form. [28000/25]

360. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of providing an additional €10,000 to every naíonra in the State. [28001/25]

361. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the first- and full-year cost of funding a year free of charge at an Irish-medium naíonra for every pre-school-aged child living in the Gaeltacht currently availing of a pre-school service funded under the ECCE scheme. [28006/25]

362. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the expenditure on Traveller cultural, educational and heritage projects each year since 2020, in tabular form. [28014/25]

363. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the closure of a childcare centre (details supplied); if her Department is engaging with the owners to ensure the families impacted are supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28328/25]

523. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will ensure that families affected by unexpected child deaths are provided with timely access to review findings from agencies such as Tusla and are provided the necessary psychological and legal supports throughout the process. [27391/25]

524. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the six month eligibility criteria under the mother-and-baby-home redress scheme will be reviewed; her views on excluding persons who may have been resident for a period five days short of the six month stay requirement is acceptable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28480/25]

525. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the next round of building blocks capital programme for early learning and childcare will be open for applications; the process relating to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26744/25]

526. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason two organisations (details supplied) have been and continue to be excluded from the DPO Consultative Framework since October 2023; if this indirect discrimination will be remedied as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26760/25]

527. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions taken in response to the HIQA report published on 25 February 2025, regarding an organisation (details supplied) which identified serious safeguarding and governance concerns across multiple centres; the steps that have been implemented to address the identified non-compliances and protect vulnerable reside…

528. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department’s engagement with the Department of Health regarding delays in CAMHS access and their impact on the welfare of vulnerable children. [26871/25]

529. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children awaiting an assessment of needs in counties Cavan and Monaghan; the number waiting by three-month intervals; the number of who received an assessment to date in 2025; the number of whom received their assessment within six months of application, by county; and if she will make a statement on t…

530. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department's engagement with the Department of Health regarding delays in CAMHS access and the impact on the welfare of vulnerable children. [26902/25]

531. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the case of transport for a child (details supplied) and if her Department will confirm if there is a transport option in place for the child. [26933/25]

532. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a progress report on the recruitment of the multidisciplinary team for Palmerstown (as well as Ballyfermot and Chapelizod); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26934/25]

533. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children waiting for a service statement following completion of their assessment of needs more than 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 months, by county, in tabular form. [26938/25]